Access to education in the North Country across the age-spectrum is excellent. Public schools in the region have a reputation for providing extremely safe, challenging learning environments for area children. In addition, several options for private or parochial schools exist.

Clinton Community College is a member of the State University of New York system; awarding Associates degrees and certificates in a wide array of disciplines. It fulfills a crucial role in the community in training young adults, adult learners and many others for technical careers or for advancement toward higher degrees. The College occupies a historic locale in the community, set high atop bluffs overlooking Lake Champlain at the site of a historic resort where the rich and famous and even U.S. Presidents vacationed.

The State University of New York at Plattsburgh is a highly regarded institution that offers both undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The University has approximately 5,400 undergraduate students enrolled and has programs in 59 disciplines. The School of Business and Economics has reputation for graduates that are well trained professionals in Accounting, International Business and a new concentration in Supply Chain Management.

Within a one hour drive, Burlington, Vermont is host to the State's flagship University, the University of Vermont. Its large campus offers a medical college and strong engineering programs. Also within a one hour drive, Montreal has three major Universities: Concordia University, McGill University and the University of Quebec in Montreal. Clarkson University in Potsdam is located two hours from Plattsburgh, and offers strong engineering and many other programs as well.

Champlain Valley Educational Services (CVES) fills the region's technical and other educational needs in cooperation with boards of education and school superintendents. This includes disciplines such as career preparation, instructional services, support services with a particular focus on meeting the future needs of technical advancements. CVES has worked in conjunction with Clinton Community College to create the Plattsburgh Aeronautical Institute, which is an FAA approved Air Frame and Power Plant school.

In 2007 the Plattsburgh Aeronautical Institute will inaugurate operations in Clinton County. This program will offer a 1900 hour FAA certification in airframe and power plant technician (Part 147), with an option for an Associate's Degree through Clinton Community College. The Institute will also partner with Collége-Édouard Monpetit in St. Huberts, Quebéc which has a strong reputation for its air technician programs. College-Adouard Monpetit, the Canadian "Ecole nationalé d'arotechnique" (ENA), is 45 miles from Plattsburgh. This is just one demonstration of the work being undertaken by CVES and its technical school CV-TEC in carrying out the technical educational needs in the community.